Choosing a Class: Primary Ability, Hit Point Die, Proficiencies, and Starting Features

The first major decision in character creation is:

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS

A Class broadly describes your adventurer's:

• vocation

• special talents

• favored tactics

The SRD provides:

12 CLASSES

Each one gives you a different combination of:

• Primary Ability

• Hit Point Die

• Saving Throw Proficiencies

• Skill Proficiencies

• Weapon Proficiencies

• Tool Proficiencies, where applicable

• Armor Training

• starting equipment

• Class Features

 

This means your Class is much more than a title.

It establishes much of the mechanical foundation of your character.

---

THE 12 CLASSES

The SRD 5.2.1 includes:

BARBARIAN

BARD

CLERIC

DRUID

FIGHTER

MONK

PALADIN

RANGER

ROGUE

SORCERER

WARLOCK

WIZARD

 

---

THE SRD'S CLASS OVERVIEW

The Character Creation section gives a quick way to understand what each Class broadly emphasizes:

Class	“Likes…”	Primary Ability	Complexity
Barbarian	Battle	Strength	Average
Bard	Performing	Charisma	High
Cleric	Gods	Wisdom	Average
Druid	Nature	Wisdom	High
Fighter	Weapons	Strength or Dexterity	Low
Monk	Unarmed combat	Dexterity and Wisdom	High
Paladin	Defense	Strength and Charisma	Average
Ranger	Survival	Dexterity and Wisdom	Average
Rogue	Stealth	Dexterity	Low
Sorcerer	Power	Charisma	High
Warlock	Occult lore	Charisma	High
Wizard	Spellbooks	Intelligence	Average

 

This table is useful when you are deciding:

WHAT KIND OF CHARACTER DO I WANT TO PLAY?

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PRIMARY ABILITY

Every Class identifies one or more:

PRIMARY ABILITIES

These are the abilities most central to that Class.

For example:

Barbarian

STRENGTH

Wizard

INTELLIGENCE

Bard

CHARISMA

Monk

DEXTERITY AND WISDOM

 

---

WHY PRIMARY ABILITY MATTERS

Your Primary Ability can influence many important Class mechanics.

Depending on the Class, it might contribute to:

• attacks

• spellcasting

• Class feature DCs

• important Ability Checks

• other Class Features

This is why the SRD recommends keeping your Class's Primary Ability in mind when assigning Ability Scores.

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PRIMARY ABILITIES BY CLASS

Class	Primary Ability
Barbarian	Strength
Bard	Charisma
Cleric	Wisdom
Druid	Wisdom
Fighter	Strength or Dexterity
Monk	Dexterity and Wisdom
Paladin	Strength and Charisma
Ranger	Dexterity and Wisdom
Rogue	Dexterity
Sorcerer	Charisma
Warlock	Charisma
Wizard	Intelligence

 

---

HIT POINT DIE

Every Class has a:

HIT POINT DIE

also called a:

HIT DIE

The die represents part of the Class's Hit Point progression.

The Classes use:

D6

D8

D10

or:

D12

depending on the Class.

---

HIT DICE BY CLASS

Class	Hit Point Die
Barbarian	d12
Bard	d8
Cleric	d8
Druid	d8
Fighter	d10
Monk	d8
Paladin	d10
Ranger	d10
Rogue	d8
Sorcerer	d6
Warlock	d8
Wizard	d6

 

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LEVEL 1 HIT POINTS

At level 1, the Class also determines the base used for your Hit Point maximum.

Class	Level 1 HP
Barbarian	12 + Constitution modifier
Fighter, Paladin, Ranger	10 + Constitution modifier
Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Rogue, Warlock	8 + Constitution modifier
Sorcerer, Wizard	6 + Constitution modifier

 

So Class choice directly affects how many Hit Points you begin with.

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EXAMPLE

Constitution Modifier:

+2

Barbarian

12 + 2:

14 HP

Fighter

10 + 2:

12 HP

Rogue

8 + 2:

10 HP

Wizard

6 + 2:

8 HP

Same Constitution.

Different Class.

Different starting Hit Point maximum.

---

SAVING THROW PROFICIENCIES

Every Class gives proficiency in:

TWO SAVING THROWS

When you make a Saving Throw using one of those abilities:

ADD YOUR PROFICIENCY BONUS

---

SAVING THROW PROFICIENCIES BY CLASS

Class	Saving Throw Proficiencies
Barbarian	Strength, Constitution
Bard	Dexterity, Charisma
Cleric	Wisdom, Charisma
Druid	Intelligence, Wisdom
Fighter	Strength, Constitution
Monk	Strength, Dexterity
Paladin	Wisdom, Charisma
Ranger	Strength, Dexterity
Rogue	Dexterity, Intelligence
Sorcerer	Constitution, Charisma
Warlock	Wisdom, Charisma
Wizard	Intelligence, Wisdom

 

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SKILL PROFICIENCIES

Your Class also gives you a selection of:

SKILL PROFICIENCIES

Your Background supplies additional Skills separately.

When you are proficient in a Skill:

ADD YOUR PROFICIENCY BONUS

to relevant Ability Checks using that proficiency.

Now let's examine every Class.

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1. BARBARIAN

The Barbarian's core theme in the SRD overview is:

BATTLE

Primary Ability:

STRENGTH

Complexity:

AVERAGE

Hit Point Die:

D12

This is the largest Hit Point Die among the twelve Classes.

---

BARBARIAN SAVING THROWS

Proficient in:

STRENGTH

CONSTITUTION

---

BARBARIAN SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Animal Handling

• Athletics

• Intimidation

• Nature

• Perception

• Survival

 

---

BARBARIAN WEAPONS

Proficient with:

SIMPLE WEAPONS

and:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

---

BARBARIAN ARMOR TRAINING

Trained with:

LIGHT ARMOR

MEDIUM ARMOR

SHIELDS

 

---

BARBARIAN LEVEL 1 FEATURES

At level 1, the Barbarian gains:

RAGE

UNARMORED DEFENSE

WEAPON MASTERY

 

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RAGE — THE CORE IDEA

Rage lets the Barbarian enter a state of primal power as a:

BONUS ACTION

provided the Barbarian isn't wearing Heavy armor.

The complete Barbarian system will be covered in:

LESSON 39

---

2. BARD

The Bard broadly emphasizes:

PERFORMING

Primary Ability:

CHARISMA

Complexity:

HIGH

Hit Die:

D8

 

---

BARD SAVING THROWS

DEXTERITY

CHARISMA

---

BARD SKILLS

The Bard has unusually broad Skill access.

Choose:

ANY 3 SKILLS

 

---

BARD WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

---

BARD TOOLS

Choose:

3 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

---

BARD ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

 

---

BARD LEVEL 1 FEATURES

BARDIC INSPIRATION

SPELLCASTING

 

Bardic Inspiration allows the Bard to supernaturally inspire others through:

• words

• music

• dance

and begins with a:

D6 BARDIC INSPIRATION DIE

 

The complete Bard appears in:

LESSON 40

---

3. CLERIC

The Cleric broadly emphasizes:

GODS

Primary Ability:

WISDOM

Complexity:

AVERAGE

Hit Die:

D8

 

---

CLERIC SAVING THROWS

WISDOM

CHARISMA

---

CLERIC SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• History

• Insight

• Medicine

• Persuasion

• Religion

 

---

CLERIC WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

---

CLERIC ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

MEDIUM ARMOR

SHIELDS

 

---

CLERIC LEVEL 1 FEATURES

SPELLCASTING

DIVINE ORDER

 

Wisdom is the Cleric's spellcasting ability.

Divine Order lets the Cleric choose a sacred role, providing further specialization from level 1.

The complete Cleric appears in:

LESSON 41

---

4. DRUID

The Druid broadly emphasizes:

NATURE

Primary Ability:

WISDOM

Complexity:

HIGH

Hit Die:

D8

 

---

DRUID SAVING THROWS

INTELLIGENCE

WISDOM

---

DRUID SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Animal Handling

• Arcana

• Insight

• Medicine

• Nature

• Perception

• Religion

• Survival

 

---

DRUID WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

---

DRUID TOOL PROFICIENCY

HERBALISM KIT

---

DRUID ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

SHIELDS

 

---

DRUID LEVEL 1 FEATURES

SPELLCASTING

DRUIDIC

PRIMAL ORDER

 

Wisdom is the Druid's spellcasting ability.

Druidic gives the character the secret language of Druids and always prepares Speak with Animals.

The full Class appears in:

LESSON 42

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5. FIGHTER

The Fighter broadly emphasizes:

WEAPONS

Primary Ability:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY

Complexity:

LOW

Hit Die:

D10

 

---

FIGHTER SAVING THROWS

STRENGTH

CONSTITUTION

---

FIGHTER SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Acrobatics

• Animal Handling

• Athletics

• History

• Insight

• Intimidation

• Persuasion

• Perception

• Survival

 

---

FIGHTER WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

MARTIAL WEAPONS

---

FIGHTER ARMOR

The Fighter receives the broadest basic Armor Training:

LIGHT ARMOR

MEDIUM ARMOR

HEAVY ARMOR

SHIELDS

 

---

FIGHTER LEVEL 1 FEATURES

FIGHTING STYLE

SECOND WIND

WEAPON MASTERY

 

Fighting Style grants a Fighting Style feat.

Second Wind provides a limited pool of personal recovery.

Weapon Mastery lets the Fighter use the mastery properties of selected weapons.

The Fighter is covered completely in:

LESSON 43

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6. MONK

The Monk broadly emphasizes:

UNARMED COMBAT

Primary Abilities:

DEXTERITY

and:

WISDOM

Complexity:

HIGH

Hit Die:

D8

 

---

MONK SAVING THROWS

STRENGTH

DEXTERITY

---

MONK SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Acrobatics

• Athletics

• History

• Insight

• Religion

• Stealth

 

---

MONK WEAPONS

The Monk is proficient with:

SIMPLE WEAPONS

and Martial weapons that have:

THE LIGHT PROPERTY

 

---

MONK TOOL PROFICIENCY

Choose one:

TYPE OF ARTISAN'S TOOLS

or:

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

---

MONK ARMOR TRAINING

NONE

 

This makes the Monk's Class Features particularly important for defense.

---

MONK LEVEL 1 FEATURES

MARTIAL ARTS

UNARMORED DEFENSE

 

Unarmored Defense gives a Monk who isn't wearing armor or wielding a Shield:

AC = 10 + DEXTERITY MODIFIER + WISDOM MODIFIER

 

The Monk is explored fully in:

LESSON 44

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7. PALADIN

The Paladin broadly emphasizes:

DEFENSE

Primary Abilities:

STRENGTH

and:

CHARISMA

Complexity:

AVERAGE

Hit Die:

D10

 

---

PALADIN SAVING THROWS

WISDOM

CHARISMA

---

PALADIN SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Athletics

• Insight

• Intimidation

• Medicine

• Persuasion

• Religion

 

---

PALADIN WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

MARTIAL WEAPONS

---

PALADIN ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

MEDIUM ARMOR

HEAVY ARMOR

SHIELDS

 

---

PALADIN LEVEL 1 FEATURES

LAY ON HANDS

SPELLCASTING

WEAPON MASTERY

 

Lay On Hands provides a pool of healing power equal to:

FIVE TIMES PALADIN LEVEL

after each Long Rest.

Charisma is the Paladin's spellcasting ability.

The complete Paladin appears in:

LESSON 45

---

8. RANGER

The Ranger broadly emphasizes:

SURVIVAL

Primary Abilities:

DEXTERITY

and:

WISDOM

Complexity:

AVERAGE

Hit Die:

D10

 

---

RANGER SAVING THROWS

STRENGTH

DEXTERITY

---

RANGER SKILLS

Choose:

3

from:

• Animal Handling

• Athletics

• Insight

• Investigation

• Nature

• Perception

• Stealth

• Survival

 

---

RANGER WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

MARTIAL WEAPONS

---

RANGER ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

MEDIUM ARMOR

SHIELDS

 

---

RANGER LEVEL 1 FEATURES

SPELLCASTING

FAVORED ENEMY

WEAPON MASTERY

 

Wisdom is the Ranger's spellcasting ability.

Favored Enemy gives the Ranger Hunter's Mark as an always-prepared spell and initially allows two castings without expending a Spell Slot, refreshed on a Long Rest.

The complete Ranger appears in:

LESSON 46

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9. ROGUE

The Rogue broadly emphasizes:

STEALTH

Primary Ability:

DEXTERITY

Complexity:

LOW

Hit Die:

D8

 

---

ROGUE SAVING THROWS

DEXTERITY

INTELLIGENCE

---

ROGUE SKILLS

Choose:

4

from:

• Acrobatics

• Athletics

• Deception

• Insight

• Intimidation

• Investigation

• Perception

• Persuasion

• Sleight of Hand

• Stealth

 

Four starting Class Skill choices give the Rogue especially broad Skill coverage.

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ROGUE WEAPONS

The Rogue is proficient with:

SIMPLE WEAPONS

and Martial weapons that have:

FINESSE

or:

LIGHT

 

---

ROGUE TOOL PROFICIENCY

THIEVES' TOOLS

---

ROGUE ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

---

ROGUE LEVEL 1 FEATURES

EXPERTISE

SNEAK ATTACK

THIEVES' CANT

WEAPON MASTERY

 

At level 1, Expertise applies to:

TWO SKILL PROFICIENCIES OF YOUR CHOICE

 

The Rogue is covered fully in:

LESSON 47

---

10. SORCERER

The Sorcerer broadly emphasizes:

POWER

Primary Ability:

CHARISMA

Complexity:

HIGH

Hit Die:

D6

 

---

SORCERER SAVING THROWS

CONSTITUTION

CHARISMA

---

SORCERER SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Arcana

• Deception

• Insight

• Intimidation

• Persuasion

• Religion

 

---

SORCERER WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

---

SORCERER ARMOR

NONE

 

---

SORCERER LEVEL 1 FEATURES

SPELLCASTING

INNATE SORCERY

 

Charisma is the Sorcerer's spellcasting ability.

Innate Sorcery allows the Sorcerer to unleash the magic within as a:

BONUS ACTION

for a limited duration, with the specific benefits defined by the feature.

The complete Sorcerer appears in:

LESSON 48

---

11. WARLOCK

The Warlock broadly emphasizes:

OCCULT LORE

Primary Ability:

CHARISMA

Complexity:

HIGH

Hit Die:

D8

 

---

WARLOCK SAVING THROWS

WISDOM

CHARISMA

---

WARLOCK SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Arcana

• Deception

• History

• Intimidation

• Investigation

• Nature

• Religion

 

---

WARLOCK WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

---

WARLOCK ARMOR

LIGHT ARMOR

---

WARLOCK LEVEL 1 FEATURES

ELDRITCH INVOCATIONS

PACT MAGIC

 

At level 1, the Warlock gains:

ONE ELDRITCH INVOCATION

of their choice, subject to any prerequisites.

Pact Magic provides the Warlock's spellcasting through an occult pact.

The complete Warlock appears in:

LESSON 49

---

12. WIZARD

The Wizard broadly emphasizes:

SPELLBOOKS

Primary Ability:

INTELLIGENCE

Complexity:

AVERAGE

Hit Die:

D6

 

---

WIZARD SAVING THROWS

INTELLIGENCE

WISDOM

---

WIZARD SKILLS

Choose:

2

from:

• Arcana

• History

• Insight

• Investigation

• Medicine

• Nature

• Religion

 

---

WIZARD WEAPONS

SIMPLE WEAPONS

---

WIZARD ARMOR

NONE

 

---

WIZARD LEVEL 1 FEATURES

SPELLCASTING

RITUAL ADEPT

ARCANE RECOVERY

 

Intelligence is the Wizard's spellcasting ability.

Ritual Adept allows appropriate Ritual-tagged spells in the Wizard's Spellbook to be cast as Rituals without needing to have them prepared.

Arcane Recovery lets the Wizard regain some expended Spell Slots after a Short Rest, within the limits of the feature.

The complete Wizard appears in:

LESSON 50

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COMPLETE CLASS COMPARISON

Class	Primary Ability	Hit Die	Saves	Armor Training
Barbarian	Str	d12	Str, Con	Light, Medium, Shields
Bard	Cha	d8	Dex, Cha	Light
Cleric	Wis	d8	Wis, Cha	Light, Medium, Shields
Druid	Wis	d8	Int, Wis	Light, Shields
Fighter	Str or Dex	d10	Str, Con	Light, Medium, Heavy, Shields
Monk	Dex, Wis	d8	Str, Dex	None
Paladin	Str, Cha	d10	Wis, Cha	Light, Medium, Heavy, Shields
Ranger	Dex, Wis	d10	Str, Dex	Light, Medium, Shields
Rogue	Dex	d8	Dex, Int	Light
Sorcerer	Cha	d6	Con, Cha	None
Warlock	Cha	d8	Wis, Cha	Light
Wizard	Int	d6	Int, Wis	None

 

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COMPLETE LEVEL 1 FEATURE COMPARISON

Class	Level 1 Features
Barbarian	Rage, Unarmored Defense, Weapon Mastery
Bard	Bardic Inspiration, Spellcasting
Cleric	Spellcasting, Divine Order
Druid	Spellcasting, Druidic, Primal Order
Fighter	Fighting Style, Second Wind, Weapon Mastery
Monk	Martial Arts, Unarmored Defense
Paladin	Lay On Hands, Spellcasting, Weapon Mastery
Ranger	Spellcasting, Favored Enemy, Weapon Mastery
Rogue	Expertise, Sneak Attack, Thieves' Cant, Weapon Mastery
Sorcerer	Spellcasting, Innate Sorcery
Warlock	Eldritch Invocations, Pact Magic
Wizard	Spellcasting, Ritual Adept, Arcane Recovery

 

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CLASS PROFICIENCIES COME FROM THE CLASS

This may sound obvious, but it is important during character creation.

Your:

BACKGROUND

and:

CLASS

both contribute proficiencies.

For example:

your Background provides:

• two Skill Proficiencies

• one Tool Proficiency

while your Class provides its own listed:

• Skill choices

• Saving Throw Proficiencies

• Weapon Proficiencies

• possible Tool Proficiencies

• Armor Training

 

Record all applicable proficiencies on the character sheet.

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ARMOR PROFICIENCY VS. ARMOR TRAINING

The SRD 5.2.1 uses the term:

ARMOR TRAINING

Your Class's Core Traits tell you which armor categories you can use effectively.

The detailed armor rules appear later in:

LESSON 64

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WEAPON PROFICIENCY

Weapon proficiency allows you to add your:

PROFICIENCY BONUS

to Attack Rolls made with a weapon in which you are proficient.

Your Class is therefore one of the major sources determining which weapons you can use most effectively.

---

SIMPLE VS. MARTIAL WEAPONS

Many Classes receive only:

SIMPLE WEAPON PROFICIENCY

Others receive:

SIMPLE + MARTIAL

And some Classes use more specific categories.

For example:

Monk

Simple weapons plus Martial weapons with the:

LIGHT PROPERTY

Rogue

Simple weapons plus Martial weapons with:

FINESSE OR LIGHT

 

The entire weapon system appears in Lessons 61–63.

---

STARTING EQUIPMENT

Every Core Class Traits table also provides:

STARTING EQUIPMENT

The Classes generally let you choose between:

• one or more predefined equipment packages

• a GP amount that can be used to purchase equipment

For example, the Fighter offers two prepared equipment configurations or:

155 GP

while the Wizard offers a prepared package or:

55 GP

 

We will cover starting equipment systematically in:

LESSON 34

so you do not need to memorize every package now.

---

WHAT DOES “BECOMING A CLASS” MEAN AT LEVEL 1?

Each Class description states that if you begin as a:

LEVEL 1 CHARACTER

of that Class, you gain:

ALL TRAITS IN THAT CLASS'S CORE TRAITS TABLE

and:

ALL OF THE CLASS'S LEVEL 1 FEATURES

For example, this structure appears directly in the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, and other Class entries.

---

MULTICLASSING IS DIFFERENT

If you later add a Class through:

MULTICLASSING

you do not necessarily gain every Core Trait that a level 1 character beginning in that Class receives.

Each Class description specifies which Core Traits are gained when entering it through multiclassing.

The complete multiclassing system belongs to:

LESSON 37

So for now remember:

STARTING IN A CLASS ≠ MULTICLASSING INTO THAT CLASS

---

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CLASS

A useful SRD-grounded approach is to compare several questions.

---

QUESTION 1 — WHAT STYLE ATTRACTS YOU?

The SRD's Class Overview offers simple themes:

Want battle?

BARBARIAN

Performing?

BARD

Gods?

CLERIC

Nature?

DRUID

Weapons?

FIGHTER

Unarmed combat?

MONK

Defense?

PALADIN

Survival?

RANGER

Stealth?

ROGUE

Raw power?

SORCERER

Occult lore?

WARLOCK

Spellbooks?

WIZARD

 

---

QUESTION 2 — HOW COMPLEX DO YOU WANT THE CLASS TO BE?

The SRD rates Class complexity as:

LOW

AVERAGE

or:

HIGH

---

LOW COMPLEXITY

FIGHTER

ROGUE

---

AVERAGE COMPLEXITY

BARBARIAN

CLERIC

PALADIN

RANGER

WIZARD

---

HIGH COMPLEXITY

BARD

DRUID

MONK

SORCERER

WARLOCK

 

This can help a new player choose how much mechanical management they want at the table.

---

QUESTION 3 — DO YOU WANT SPELLCASTING AT LEVEL 1?

Several Classes begin with an explicit spellcasting feature at level 1:

BARD

CLERIC

DRUID

PALADIN

RANGER

SORCERER

WIZARD

The Warlock instead receives:

PACT MAGIC

as its level 1 magical casting system.

---

QUESTION 4 — HOW MUCH ARMOR DO YOU WANT?

Heavy Armor available from Core Traits

FIGHTER

PALADIN

Light + Medium + Shields

BARBARIAN

CLERIC

RANGER

Light + Shields

DRUID

Light

BARD

ROGUE

WARLOCK

No Armor Training

MONK

SORCERER

WIZARD

The Class's own features can further modify how defense works.

---

QUESTION 5 — HOW MANY SKILL CHOICES DO YOU WANT?

Examples:

Rogue

CHOOSE 4

Bard

CHOOSE ANY 3

Ranger

CHOOSE 3

Most of the other Classes choose:

2

from their Class-specific lists.

---

QUESTION 6 — WHAT ABILITY DO YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE?

If your character concept centers on:

STRENGTH

Barbarian is directly Strength-based, while Fighter and Paladin can also strongly emphasize it.

If you want:

DEXTERITY

Rogue is directly Dexterity-based, and Fighter, Monk, and Ranger also use Dexterity prominently.

If you want:

WISDOM

Cleric and Druid use Wisdom as Primary Ability, while Monk and Ranger use it alongside Dexterity.

If you want:

CHARISMA

Bard, Sorcerer, and Warlock use Charisma, while Paladin uses it alongside Strength.

If you want:

INTELLIGENCE

Wizard has Intelligence as its Primary Ability.

These relationships come directly from the SRD's Class Overview.

---

A CLASS DOES NOT DEFINE YOUR ENTIRE CHARACTER

Remember that Class is only:

STEP 1

Your complete character also receives identity and mechanics from:

BACKGROUND

SPECIES

LANGUAGES

ABILITY SCORES

ALIGNMENT

FEATS

EQUIPMENT

and your own characterization.

So two characters of the same Class can still be extremely different.

---

EXAMPLE — TWO FIGHTERS

Both characters are:

FIGHTERS

But one could emphasize:

STRENGTH

wear Heavy armor and fight with martial melee weapons.

Another could emphasize:

DEXTERITY

begin with Studded Leather Armor and a Longbow.

The Fighter's own Core Traits support Strength or Dexterity as its Primary Ability and provide different starting equipment packages.

---

EXAMPLE — TWO CLERICS

Both use:

WISDOM

as their Primary Ability.

But the level 1:

DIVINE ORDER

feature already offers a choice of sacred role, and later choices further differentiate them.

So even within one Class:

CLASS FEATURES CONTAIN CHARACTER-BUILDING CHOICES

---

CLASS SELECTION CHECKLIST

Before confirming your Class, check:

1. PRIMARY ABILITY

Does it fit the character you want?

---

2. HIT DIE

How does the Class's Hit Point foundation compare?

---

3. SAVING THROW PROFICIENCIES

Which two Saving Throws does it provide?

---

4. SKILL CHOICES

Does its Skill list support your concept?

---

5. WEAPON PROFICIENCIES

Simple?

Martial?

Specific Martial categories?

---

6. ARMOR TRAINING

Heavy?

Medium?

Light?

None?

Shields?

---

7. TOOL PROFICIENCIES

Does the Class grant any?

---

8. LEVEL 1 FEATURES

What does the Class actually let you do from the beginning?

---

9. COMPLEXITY

Does the SRD classify it as Low, Average, or High complexity?

---

10. THEME

Does the Class's overall concept fit the character you imagine?

---

COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1 — CHOOSING A CLASS ONLY BY ITS NAME

Read:

• Primary Ability

• Hit Die

• Proficiencies

• Armor Training

• starting features

The mechanical package matters.

---

MISTAKE 2 — IGNORING PRIMARY ABILITY

Your Class's Primary Ability should be considered when assigning Ability Scores.

---

MISTAKE 3 — THINKING ALL CLASSES HAVE THE SAME HIT DIE

They range from:

D6

to:

D12

depending on Class.

---

MISTAKE 4 — THINKING EVERY CLASS GETS MARTIAL WEAPONS

Many Classes receive only Simple weapons.

Others receive Martial weapons or specific subsets.

Use the individual Core Traits table.

---

MISTAKE 5 — THINKING EVERY CLASS GETS ARMOR

Monk, Sorcerer, and Wizard list:

NO ARMOR TRAINING

in their Core Traits.

---

MISTAKE 6 — THINKING EVERY CLASS CHOOSES TWO SKILLS

Examples:

• Bard chooses any 3

• Ranger chooses 3

• Rogue chooses 4

 

---

MISTAKE 7 — FORGETTING SAVING THROW PROFICIENCIES

Every Class's Core Traits include two.

Record them because they determine when your Proficiency Bonus is added to Saving Throws.

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MISTAKE 8 — ASSUMING EVERY MAGIC-USING CLASS WORKS THE SAME WAY

The SRD distinguishes different Class features, including:

SPELLCASTING

and the Warlock's:

PACT MAGIC

Their complete systems will be studied in the individual Class lessons.

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MISTAKE 9 — USING MULTICLASS STARTING TRAITS FOR A LEVEL 1 CHARACTER

A character beginning at level 1 in a Class gains:

ALL OF THAT CLASS'S CORE TRAITS

Multiclassing into the Class later can provide a different subset.

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MISTAKE 10 — TRYING TO LEARN EVERY CLASS FEATURE NOW

At this stage, you need to understand:

WHAT THE CLASS GIVES YOU AT THE START

The complete level 1–20 progression, subclasses, and detailed abilities will be studied individually in:

LESSONS 39–50

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LESSON 29 — KEY TAKEAWAYS

YOUR CLASS DEFINES A MAJOR PART OF YOUR CHARACTER'S MECHANICS

It establishes things such as:

• Primary Ability

• Hit Die

• Saving Throw Proficiencies

• Skill choices

• Weapon Proficiencies

• Tool Proficiencies where applicable

• Armor Training

• starting features

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THERE ARE 12 SRD CLASSES

BARBARIAN

BARD

CLERIC

DRUID

FIGHTER

MONK

PALADIN

RANGER

ROGUE

SORCERER

WARLOCK

WIZARD

 

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HIT DICE RANGE FROM

D6 TO D12

with the exact die determined by Class.

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EVERY CLASS HAS TWO SAVING THROW PROFICIENCIES

These are specified in the Class's:

CORE TRAITS TABLE

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CLASSES DIFFER GREATLY IN SKILL ACCESS

Examples:

ROGUE — CHOOSE 4

BARD — CHOOSE ANY 3

RANGER — CHOOSE 3

while many Classes choose two from a specific list.

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CLASSES ALSO DIFFER IN WEAPONS AND ARMOR

Some support broad Martial Weapon and Heavy Armor use.

Others have:

NO ARMOR TRAINING

and rely on other defensive mechanics.

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LEVEL 1 FEATURES IMMEDIATELY DEFINE PLAY STYLE

Examples:

Barbarian

RAGE

Bard

BARDIC INSPIRATION + SPELLCASTING

Fighter

FIGHTING STYLE + SECOND WIND + WEAPON MASTERY

Rogue

EXPERTISE + SNEAK ATTACK

Wizard

SPELLCASTING + RITUAL ADEPT + ARCANE RECOVERY

The complete starting-feature list for all twelve Classes is contained above.

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NEXT LESSON

LESSON 30 — CHARACTER ORIGIN: BACKGROUND, SPECIES, AND LANGUAGES

You have chosen the adventuring path represented by your Class.

Now we answer:

WHERE DID YOUR CHARACTER COME FROM?

Lesson 30 will cover the three elements of Character Origin:

BACKGROUND

SPECIES

LANGUAGES

We will examine:

• what Background represents

• how Background affects Ability Scores

• the Feat granted by a Background

• Background Skill Proficiencies

• Background Tool Proficiency

• starting equipment from Background

• Species and Species Traits

• how Species determines Size and Speed

• using Background and Species to imagine your character's past

• Common

• Standard Languages

• Rare Languages

• Common Sign Language

• Draconic

• Dwarvish

• Elvish

• Giant

• Gnomish

• Goblin

• Halfling

• Orc

• Abyssal

• Celestial

• Deep Speech

• Druidic

• Infernal

• Primordial

• Sylvan

• Thieves' Cant

• Undercommon

• the Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran dialects of Primordial

This will establish your character's life before the adventure begins.

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SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.